Tim Tebow's been a rather fascinating young man on the American sports scene. I remember some years ago he was playing football, and it was the Broncos/Patriots playoff game. And it actually hurt to watch that. There were no last-quarter or last-minute miracles. Tim was quarterbacking and his team lost and they lost bad. Final score...45-10! They weren't just beaten, they were crushed.
Well, so much for anybody who thought Jesus is a ticket to the Super Bowl, because Tim's relationship with Jesus was well known and publicized. You know what? They didn't even get a league championship! But without preaching - just by living it. You know, Tim got us thinking of Jesus when we think of him. And the media for a long time was all over the Tim Tebow story. But every time Tim was in the media and in the spotlight, seems he wanted to redirect the attention to Jesus.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Tim Tebow's Really Bad Day."
Yeah, I really wanted to see Tim and his Broncos pull out another stunning, odds-defying victory. They'd done it before, but for those who've tended to think that Jesus was somehow validated by winning, I'd suggest the losing did it even more. And it's shown us why belonging to Jesus is a faith that wins even when you lose. Especially when you lose.
I was anxious to see how this media-bombarded quarterback at the time would react after losing what was arguably the most important game of his career so far. Plus, it was after being the object of derisive chanting from the Patriots fans.
He talked about his opponents. He said, "They played well...you've got to give them a lot of credit." He talked about his teammates: "I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and thank my teammates for the effort they put forth." And he talked about the season he had, "A very special opportunity for me; something I'm very thankful for and very thankful for the opportunity to build so many great relationships with teammates and coaches."
Oh yeah, then there was losing. He said, "Any time you're getting beaten like that, you just continue to fight. Every time I step on the field, I'm going to give my whole heart regardless of the score...I need to work and improve."
I'll tell you, Zack McLeod will never forget that game. Before each game, Tim Tebow would spend some time with a child or young person who was living with a serious disability. This week it was Zack, who used to play football, but had a massive brain injury. Tim said, "It was a good day because I got to spend time with Zack McLeod and make him smile...I got to make a kid's day...and that's more important than winning a game."
Wow! Grace, encouragement, big picture perspective, humility, taking responsibility, inner peace: That's what we heard from this Jesus-follower in the wake of a crushing defeat.
There's a reason for that - one that compels every one of us to think about Jesus being, as Tebow says, "my Lord and Savior." See, when you have Jesus, you're complete. The Bible literally says in our word for today from the Word of God in Colossians 2:10, "we are complete in Him." So, with Jesus, we've got an "unloseable" identity. Whether you win or lose. Whether they're cheering or booing. When somebody loves you and when somebody drops you. When you've got a job; when you lose your job, there's money in the bank or you're broke.
Let's face it, about any belief works when you're winning. The test is when you lose. And we all do in one way or another. But when life is the worst, Jesus is at His best. The Bible says "nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39 - NLT).
I can be totally sure of Jesus in the moments when there's nothing else I can be sure of. The Bible says, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). Listen, I'm telling you all that because it would be so good for you to be safe in His love because of how far His love reached for you; to die on a cross to pay for your sin, to walk out of His grave under His own power.
You can belong today to the One who loved you enough to die for you, was powerful enough to walk out of His grave. Just tell Him, "Jesus, I'm Yours." Go to our website. There's a lot more there - ANewStory.com.
See, with Jesus you can lose it all and you will still have what matters most or Who matters most.